ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mouse · board · wind · band · bulb · object · plane · hand

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. hand — help
  3. band — a ring
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. plane — a tool
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. board — a committee
  15. hand — in cards
  16. object — to protest
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wind — moving air
  19. object — an aim
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. object — a thing
  23. band — a music group
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com